"Fuji, it's me. Someone's been following me since I left work. They're not as easy to shake as the last few times."
Fuji calmly responded, "So come by here. Whoever they are they're going to have to wait outside."
"I hope they know that."
"There is such a thing as law and order."
Isabelle contemplated the value of that statement for a brief moment. She made an abrupt right turn into a street followed by a left. Moments later, she found herself behind the blue beat-up car from Tasha's sinister platoon. The smoke-spewing hatchback swerved into the middle of the road. It moved along slowly, forcing Isabelle to slow down drastically. The Troopers made good use of their obstacle car's maneuver and were now closing in on Isabelle from all directions.
Inside the cement mixer, Tasha was getting ready to attack. "Purple team, she’s in the alley. Cut her off!" The concave screen displayed the map in a very prominent size. Yellow icons were converging on the one in red - Isabelle. Tasha was keeping an eye on the close-up from Isabelle's hidden car-camera. She could see that Isabelle noticed her Troopers in the rear-view mirror.
In her car, Isabelle returned her attention to the road ahead. She recognized several of the platoon's cars from earlier closing in from various directions. She had watched packs of hyenas hunt in the wild before and noticed her pursuers were following the same pattern. Prey was one thing Isabelle would never become. It was clear to her now that the blue car wasn't just a motorist breaking down. Isabelle was an excellent driver. In her career, she had driven on many obstacle and training courses for special forces and police. Some were part of investigative reports, some as favors from friends. Everyone in her social circle knew how much Isabelle loved to drive. She had successfully outmaneuvered and lost all her tails in the past. To Isabelle, being followed was a sign that she was getting somewhere with a story. In this respect, her confidence was strengthened by the presence of Tasha's Troopers. The extent of their resources made it clear to Isabelle, though, that she was facing an opponent of unprecedented proportions.
The signal ahead turned red. Isabelle could see traffic approaching the intersection from all directions. She didn't slow down for the stoplight. If her hunch was right, she wouldn't have to. Sure enough, the cars approaching on either side of her intersection skidded to a halt, Isabelle's car gliding through the center undisturbed. Tasha's Troopers stayed in pursuit of Isabelle, no matter what she tried. It was clear to her that this was one tail she wouldn't shake simply with skilled driving. Something bigger was needed. It wouldn’t take much longer for Isabelle to get to Fuji’s. A turn on Fairfax, one of L.A.'s major north-south connectors, and she was just a few miles from her friend. Soon, she approached famous Venice Boulevard, the road that lead to the popular beach. Just before the intersection, Isabelle recognized a couple of the Troopers' cars outside Fuji's driveway. Other members of the ominous pack were still swarming around her car. Isabelle made a quick left into Fuji's property. She passed the hedge of bushes and trees.
Just as Fuji had said, Isabelle’s pursuers stayed outside.
10 THE MENTOR AND HIS DISCIPLE
Fuji's long driveway was flanked by tall oak trees. Isabelle felt safe. Light-green leaves where budding on branches otherwise barren from the winter. She drove up the driveway along the oaks. An occasional mulberry tree on the property was showing its spring foliage. The trees lead her to the front of Fuji's house and his open garage. Isabelle drove right in. A push of the number two button on her car's universal remote closed the gate behind her. Isabelle turned off the ignition. She glanced at Fuji leaning against the garage's doorway, arms crossed. Isabelle rushed past him into the house.
Fuji loudly cleared his throat. "Your shoes?"
"I've never come across anything like this!" proclaimed Isabelle while pushing her sneakers off without untying them. Fuji didn't seem to be moved very much by her grippingly animated statement. She continued as they walked into the kitchen. "They were controlling traffic and there wasn't a single cop car in sight my entire trip."
Fuji poured her a cup of tea, which he had brewed in anticipation of his friend's arrival. "It's just ready now."
Isabelle added cream and sugar, then took a careful sip of the lightly steaming beverage. The warmth of the liquid radiated from the center of her body. A calming sense of relief filled her throughout. Isabelle closed her eyes and with a deep breath, she took in the soothing energy that flowed from Fuji's mere presence. Isabelle’s friend allowed her to relax while they enjoyed their tea at the kitchen table. After they had finished, Fuji placed the empty cups in the sink and invited Isabelle to join him on a walk in his garden.
Fuji's yard took up most of the block. Although as enormous as Isabelle's jungle-like exterior, Fuji's land was carefully manicured and trimmed. Mulberry and tea trees grew throughout a grassy landscape. Precisely-placed cherry trees lined the gravel path that snaked across the garden behind his house. Fuji had found a naturally flowing creek that cut through his yard. Isabelle often said it was the creek that had found Fuji. With as much as there was to talk about, Isabelle found great comfort in the solace of Fuji's garden.
The questions would have to wait. The edge of Fuji's property was home to various bushes and trees. The vegetation had been cleverly layered and no one could ever tell that six lanes of heavy traffic on Venice Boulevard were busily rolling along on the other side. The babbling of Fuji's own brook drowned out the rumble of the cars on the road. There was more than that, though. Fuji had given the entire garden a positive energy. It was a sensation Isabelle would experience every time she went to Fuji's. Together, they crossed a small wooden bridge that arched over the brook. Grass and ferns lined the edge of the constantly-flowing water. Muffled, the soothing rumble of a waterfall carried from across the pond. It had come time for Isabelle to break the silence. She turned towards Fuji.
"I know this is because of my story about limitless energy."
Fuji raised an eyebrow. This was a subject he had expected Isabelle to bring up with him one day. "Limitless energy?" he hesitantly responded.
"Yes, I came across a lead that energy can come from nothing, literally out of thin air."
Fuji: "That's not at all what they teach in school."
Isabelle: "I know. Do you realize what that would mean?"
Fuji: "It means many people would want to stop you."
Fuji and Isabelle had reached the edge of the pond. The carefully-manicured lawn had yielded to the lake bed. The pond was nestled on colorful, polished pieces of marble. Fuji and his disciple sat down on two large boulders that laid on the incline. Just within arm's reach, the water was lapping against the gravel, making each piece glisten in the spring sun of this beautiful Southern California afternoon. The wind had blown a few orange and yellow leaves from the mulberry trees into the pond.
It was unusual to find such abundant exotic foliage in the midst of Los Angeles. At least it was to most people - not to Isabelle. Her garden stood testament to Fuji's strong influence on Isabelle's life. The two properties, at first glance, seemed to share little in common. Fuji had finely-raked gravel paths along pruned trees and hedges. Isabelle's jungle had a dirt trail that lead to workout stations made from trees and vines. The lack of pruning in her garden was symptomatic of Isabelle's need to do things her way. Besides the fact that Isabelle would not have blindly copied Fuji's style, she had neither time nor patience for the effort required to keep up a Japanese garden. She felt plant growth was best kept in Mother Nature's hands. After all, plants were doing fine on their own before man introduced farming and landscaping into the world.
Muffled, the soothing rumble of the waterfall carried across the pond. A patch of reeds grew a stone’s throw off the shore. Like an acoustic wall, the thick stripe of the ancient plants had been strategically planted. It was a spot Fuji cherished for its serenity. Just like Isabelle's garden was a reflection of her true nature, this spot was a good example of how Fuji's mind worked. The two boulders on w
hich Isabelle and him were seated seemed to be cloaked in silence. The bank of reeds had been placed at a calculated point in the pond. Ripples in the water would bounce off rock formations and other shorelines. Overlaying with other waves, some ripples would intensify their force; others would be diminished.
The water near Isabelle and Fuji was calm and looked like a mirror. All the waves in the water had either been blocked by the reed or cancelled out by waves bouncing in opposite directions. The same seemed to be true for sound waves. Disappeared have the roaring of waterfall and traffic. It would take someone who's quite a genius in physics and landscaping to create a place of such perfect serenity. It had been a while since Isabelle's ears had encountered a moment without the strain of the city's endless supply of background noise. Fuji picked a mulberry leaf that had turned golden-brown off the ground. The leaf was easily the size of his hand, things grew well under Fuji's attention. He carefully placed it onto the glassy water like a little red and gold boat. The leaf floated steadily in place, just at the end of Fuji's reach. Isabelle could tell his thoughts had gone back to a time many years ago. He looked over to her and their eyes met back in the moment.
"You remind me of your mother," he said in a very complimentary tone. "I tried to show her that the answers she sought in her research laid beyond the confines of man's laws of physics." Fuji gathered a few of the smaller marble pebbles by his feet. He dropped them one at a time onto the leaf.
Isabelle watched it continue to float as she responded. "The whole universe is subject to the laws of physics."
A melancholic look came across Fuji's face. He had heard these words before. The similarities between his old friend Gemma and her daughter were uncanny. It was that same scientific logic and diligence he knew from her mother that Isabelle applied to her investigations as a journalist. By this time, several pebbles populated the leaf and it dented in the center a bit. Fuji pointed out an important flaw in Isabelle's statement.
"Laws were invented by man."
"I like to rely on facts and science."
"That's what kept your mother from seeing the answer she sought," said Fuji as he placed a final pebble on the leaf which yielded to the weight of its cargo. The leaf dipped below the surface of the pond and as it sank, the pebbles were sliding off it plummeting to the bottom. He continued. "Chant with me. You will gain the clarity and see the opportunity in your problem."
"What opportunity could lie in that?"
Fuji didn't say a word. Together, they watched as the leaf dumped off the rest of its cargo and returned to the surface of the water. Fuji and Isabelle stood up in rhythm and walked to the spot where he chanted. His altar was carved from a block of colorful marble. Pink and green swirls within shimmering white rock gave this unique piece of art a regal appearance. Isabelle didn't care too much for the word altar. It sounded a bit too much like religious obsession and magic to her. Fuji never really needed to give it a name when Isabelle was around, but it was where they would go when they chanted. Fuji had taught Isabelle the ancient practice that was said to align one's spirit with the rhythm of the universe. The mentor took a match with his right hand and lit a couple of incense sticks from a nearby box. His left hand placed the incense in a burner on the top of the altar. With the same match still burning, he lit two candles, one near either side of the altar. Centered between the candles, two cherry-wood doors were hinged onto the rock face above. Fuji opened the doors, revealing a rectangular recess, a couple of feet in height. Hanging unrolled in the recess was a paper scroll. The parchment was covered in symbols of an ancient Chinese language long lost in modern days.
Pleasant bamboo-scented smoke drifted through the clean spring air. The calendar said it was winter but Southern California had as much of a winter as sunny Florida or the French Rivera. It was just a time for some of the trees to put on a fresh coat of leafs for the new season. It was the end of February and it certainly felt like spring. Isabelle felt an abundance of life energy around her. Fuji reached into another box and pulled out two strands of crystal beads. Their faceted edges reflected the sunlight in a beautiful shimmer. He handed one to Isabelle. Fuji swung a wooden mallet towards an enormous prayer bell that resided to the right of the altar. The bell was shaped just like a kettle - open at the top. Its melodious sound felt cleansing and brought a sense of harmony to Isabelle's swirling thoughts. A few strikes of the bell and Isabelle and Fuji's voices filled the air in unity.
"Nam Myoho Renge Kyo,
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo,
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo..."
Together the two would chant the ancient mantra for the hour that followed.
Night had fallen by the time the two friends finished. It was time for Isabelle to leave and face her troubles. "Look after Tonati. He's all the protection you need." Fuji took a satchel that was filled with loaded syringes, just like the one Isabelle had injected at breakfast, and handed it to her. An expression of genuine concern came to Fuji's face as he searched for an answer in Isabelle's eyes. "How is your health?"
It seemed her illness was not on her mind. Isabelle was busy considering all the other issues that were affecting her life at the time. "I'm fine." Isabelle embraced Fuji. She realized that without his help, the illness would be the only thing occupying her thoughts.
"Thank you, Fuji."
11 ISABELLE'S NIGHT UNDER SIEGE
Not much later, Isabelle was in her car and on the way home. The streets were empty. Even regular traffic was nowhere in sight. Isabelle recognized a single sports utility vehicle from her new-found entourage as it tried to stay in her blind spot as best it could.
A few blocks before she arrived at home, Isabelle noticed the SUV break off its pursuit and leave her trail. A push of the number one button on her remote and the cast-iron gate to her driveway swung open. The street was empty when Isabelle made her turn. The young woman drove past her garage and parked in front of her house. Isabelle stepped inside. She didn't usually feel the need to lock her door. Isabelle was immediately greeted by Tonati. His stature and razor-sharp claws would have intimidated anyone who didn't know Isabelle's puma. All the young finder of truth saw in the cat’s eyes was his love for her. Tonati had been with Isabelle since the time when she still lived in the jungle as a child with her mother. After Isabelle left the jungle to live with her father, Tonati had remained a spiritual bridge to nature for Isabelle.
Isabelle could tell Tonati was nervous. Instinctively, the pair headed for the kitchen and moments later, went through the open part to the outside. The buzzing that sounded like the propeller of a small plane or perhaps a helicopter was coming from somewhere in the sky above her house. Isabelle scanned the evening sky for its source, but it was to no avail.
Together, Isabelle and Tonati walked the property. Isabelle headed just outside the front gate where she looked up and down her street. The monotonous hum of the overhead drone was drowned out by the roaring of car engines. Several of the cars that had been following her appeared on both ends of the street and came racing towards her with their engines revving high. Isabelle turned around and headed back to her front yard. She pushed the close button for the gate and heavy wrought-iron separated her yard from the street. The cars were still coming closer but their engines were running quietly and their drivers adhered to the neighborhood's 25 mile-per-hour speed limit. Woman and puma returned to the house. On the way, Isabelle grabbed a couple of starfruit and a mango for dinner.
It had gotten cold quickly without the warmth of the sunlight. Isabelle closed the large glass doors and the granite island's partition. A quick look around the interior of the house confirmed what their instinct had already told each of them: there was no one else in the house. Isabelle returned to the kitchen. She had left the starfruit and mango on the counter on her way in. She fixed her dinner much like she had prepared breakfast. Cooking, especially with food she had harvested in her own garden, was an important part of Isabelle's life. It gave her time to relax. After all, water can only boi
l so fast: a pace much different from traffic or chasing a story. This day, an elaborate dinner preparation would help Isabelle focus her thoughts on solutions to her obvious troubles. It gave her a chance to discount the possibility that any of this posed a real threat. Tonati wasn't bothered much by the buzzing from above. His thoughts were on Isabelle and the dinner he knew she was preparing for him.
Unbeknownst to Isabelle, the cause for all her problems wasn't far at all down the street. By the side of the road was an Apophis Library Bookmobile. Tasha had changed vehicles and with the help of her Troopers was busily following Isabelle's every move. Rather than the curved main screen of the cement mixer, the bookmobile offered a multitude of flat-screen displays in a wall array. One of Tasha's Troopers sat behind a digital cockpit, piloting the source of the constant buzzing above. The drone provided an infrared view of the interior of Isabelle's house. The command post's main view-screen revealed the heat outlines of Isabelle and Tonati in the kitchen. As the drone circled the house, the steam rising from one of the pots on the stove obscured Isabelle's image slightly with its heat plume. Isabelle's cable box afforded Tasha a view of the living room. Via their built-in wireless interfaces, the robotic floor-mop and vacuum cleaners generated a crude floor plan that showed any moving objects detected by their sensors. Virtually anything that ran on a microprocessor had come under Tasha's control and was serving as some sort of surveillance device.
With These Eyes Page 6